AS
Unit 2
Rules of the
GAME
Every mark counts
June
2012
A
B
C
D
E
Unit 1
53/72
47
42
37
32
74%
Unit 2
53/72
74%
58%
47
41
57%
44%
35
30
42%
THE EXAM
• All questions are
compulsory.
• The answer booklet
dictates how much you
write.
• Your answers are
clipped when they are
marked.
Write in
black felt
liner
THE EXAM
• One extended writing question
where QOWC marks are
allocated.
• 72 marks for the whole paper in
90 minutes i.e. about 1 ¼ minutes
per mark
– 4 mark question = 5 minutes
Can I use bullet
points?
GETTING INTO THE
MIND OF THE
PRINCIPAL
EXAMINER

Questions are set from the
specification.

Don’t rely on textbooks.

For each topic know the
SPECIFICATION.

For each topic be aware of
POSSIBLE questions.

Use past papers.

Write your own questions.
Specification
•Conformity (majority influence) and
explanations of why people conform,
including informational social influence
and normative social influence.
•Types of conformity, including
internalisation and compliance.
•Obedience to authority, including
Milgram’s work and explanations of why
people obey.
Patterns
QT 1
Simple selection
QT 1
Simple selection
Answer
strategies?
Only 50% of
students got
this right.
If you tick too
many your answer
is null and void.
QT 2
Short description
QT 2
Short description
Outline two explanations of why people obey. (2 marks + 2 marks)
Outline what is meant by Type A behaviour. (2 marks)
Outline a method used by psychologists to assess
whether someone shows Type A behaviour. (2 marks)
Outline two definitions of abnormality. (3 marks + 3 marks)
What is meant by informational social influence. (3
marks)
QT 2
Short description
What is meant by informational social influence. (3
marks)
When people conform because of a desire to be right.
For example in Asch’s study participants felt the others
must be right so they went along with a wrong answer.
In some situations this leads to a change of private as
well as public opinion.
= 45 words
QT 2
Short description
Outline what is involved in stress inoculation
therapy. (3 marks)
What is stress inoculation therapy? (3 marks)
QT 2
Short description
What is involved in stress inoculation therapy? (3
marks)
Unit 2
Biological Psychology: Stress
Short description (2-3 marks)
Stress as a bodily response
•The body’s response to stress, including the
pituitary adrenal system and the
sympathomedullary pathway in outline.
•Stress-related illness and the immune
system.
Pituitary adrenal system
Sympathomedullary pathway
(Stress-related illness)
(Immune system)
Stress in everyday life
•Life changes and daily hassles as sources of
stress.
•Workplace stress including the effects of
workload and control.
•Personality factors, including Type A and
Type B behaviour, hardiness.
•Psychological and biological methods of
stress management, including stress
inoculation therapy and drug therapy.
Life changes
Daily hassles
Workplace stress
Workload
Control in relation to workplace stress
6 markers
Type A
Type B
Hardiness
How as
well as
Stress inoculation therapy (6 marks)
what
Drug therapy (6 marks)
Unit 2
Social Psychology: Social influence
Short description (2-3 marks)
Social influence
•Conformity (majority influence) and
explanations of why people conform, including
informational social influence and normative
social influence.
•Types of conformity, including internalisation
and compliance.
•Obedience to authority, including Milgram’s
work and explanations of why people obey.
Conformity (majority influence)
Informational social influence
Normative social influence
Internalisation
Compliance
Obedience to authority
Social influence in everyday life
•Explanations of independent behaviour,
including locus of control and how people resist
pressures to conform and resist pressures to
obey authority.
•How social influence research helps us
understand social change; the role of minority
influence in social change.
Independent behaviour
Locus of control
Social change
Minority influence
Unit 2
Individual differences: Psychopathology
(abnormality)
Short description (2-3 marks)
Defining and explaining psychological abnormality
• Definitions of abnormality, including deviation
from social norms, failure to function adequately
and deviation from ideal mental health, and
limitations associated with these definitions of
psychological abnormality.
• The biological approach to psychopathology.
• Psychological approaches to psychopathology
including the psychodynamic, behavioural and
cognitive approaches.
Treating abnormality
• Biological therapies, including drugs and ECT.
• Psychological therapies, including
psychoanalysis, systematic de-sensitisation and
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from ideal mental health
6 markers
Biological approach to
psychopathology
Psychodynamic approach to …
Behavioural approach to …
Cognitive approaches approach to …
How as well
as what
Drugs
ECT
6 markers
Psychoanalysis
Systematic de-sensitisation
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
QT 3
Differences
Explain how informational social
influence differ from normative social
influence. (4 marks)
Explain how the behavioural
approach to abnormality differs from
the psychodynamic approach. (4
marks)
QT 3
Differences
Explain how informational social
influence differ from normative social
influence. (4 marks)
Information SI is
about being right.
For example …
Information SI is about being right whereas normativ
SI is about wanting to be liked.
Normative SI is
about wanting to be
liked. For example
…
For example in Asch’s study it might appear that the
reason for conformity was wanting to be right but in f
the participants might have conformed because they
were concerned about what the others thought.
QT 4
Longer description
(theories)
A theory = an inter-related
collection of facts
QT 4
Longer description
Using your knowledge of psychology, explain why some
people might resist pressures to conform. (4 marks)
Explain one or more reasons why people obey authority. (6
marks)
Outline the psychodynamic approach to
psychopathology. (6 marks)
Outline the behavioural approach to
psychopathology. (6 marks)
Unit 2
Biological Psychology: Stress
Long description (6 marks)
Stress as a bodily response
•The body’s response to stress, including The body’s response to stress (= pituitary
the pituitary adrenal system and the
adrenal system + sympathomedullary
sympathomedullary pathway in outline.
pathway)
•Stress-related illness and the immune
system.
Explain the relationship between stress and
illness
Stress in everyday life
•Life changes and daily hassles as
sources of stress.
Stress inoculation therapy
•Workplace stress including the effects
Drug therapy
of workload and control.
•Personality factors, including Type A
and Type B behaviour, hardiness.
•Psychological and biological methods of
stress management, including stress
inoculation therapy and drug therapy.
Unit 2
Social Psychology: Social influence
Long description (6 marks)
Social influence
•Conformity (majority influence) and explanations
of why people conform, including informational
social influence and normative social influence.
•Types of conformity, including internalisation and
compliance.
•Obedience to authority, including Milgram’s work
and explanations of why people obey.
Social influence in everyday life
•Explanations of independent behaviour, including
locus of control and how people resist pressures
to conform and resist pressures to obey authority.
•How social influence research helps us
understand social change; the role of minority
influence in social change.
Explain why people conform (=
informational social influence +
normative social influence)
Outline types of conformity (=
Internalisation + compliance)
Explain why people obey
Explain why people resist pressures to
conform (= explain independent
behaviour)
Explain why people resist pressures to
obey (= explain independent
behaviour)
Explain how social influence research
helps us to understand social change
Explain how minority influence helps us
to understand social change
Unit 2
Individual differences: Psychopathology
(abnormality)
Long description (6 marks)
Defining and explaining psychological abnormality
• Definitions of abnormality, including deviation
from social norms, failure to function adequately
and deviation from ideal mental health, and
limitations associated with these definitions of
psychological abnormality.
• The biological approach to psychopathology.
• Psychological approaches to psychopathology
including the psychodynamic, behavioural and
cognitive approaches.
Outline definitions of abnormality (=
deviation from social norms +
failure to function adequately +
deviation from ideal mental
health)
Biological approach to …
Psychodynamic approach to …
Behavioural approach to …
Cognitive approaches approach …
Treating abnormality
• Biological therapies, including drugs and ECT.
• Psychological therapies, including
psychoanalysis, systematic de-sensitisation and
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Drugs
ECT
Psychoanalysis
Systematic de-sensitisation
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Six marks worth
6 marks is about 150
words
or 6 points of about 25
words.
Outline biological methods of stress
management. (6 marks)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why it works
• Produces a précis of
text.
• Gives you the coat
pegs.
• Ensures you learn just
the right amount (not
too much or too
little).
• And assists recall.
A prècis is a summary where
one cuts out less important
material leaving the key bits.
golden nuggets.
26
AO1 Description
Description (AO1)
Marks Detail
Knowledge
and
understanding
6
Accurate and Sound
reasonably
detailed
5-4
Generally
Relevant
accurate, less
detailed
Selection of
appropriate
material
Appropriate
Presentation
of information
Some evidence
Appropriate
Appropriate
Clear and
coherent
3-2
Basic
Some relevant
Little evidence
1
Very
brief/flawed
Very little
Largely or wholly inappropriate
Good AO1 is DETAILED
The devil is in the detail
• ‘Repression is when you don’t
remember certain events.’
• More detail: ‘Repression is when you
don’t remember traumatic events.’
• Even more detail: ‘According to Freud
(1918) repression is when you don’t
remember traumatic events.’
QT 5
Research studies
Not the same
as research
methods!
QT 5
WHAT
Research studies
Describe one research study that has investigated
stress in the workplace. In your answer you should
include details of what was done and what was found.
(4 marks)
Describe one or more studies of workplace stress. (5
marks)
HOW
SHOW
Outline how one research study investigated the
effects of control of on workplace stress. (4 marks)
Outline what research has shown about personality
factors in stress. (4 marks)
Outline what research has shown about how people
resist pressures to conform. (4 marks)
How many studies do
you have to know?
Avoid
confabulation
Describe research into conformity.
Describe and evaluate research
into conformity.
You MUST know one study well for
the long description questions.
This would give you 2 or 3 marks
AO1 for an essay.
You SHOULD know a 2nd study for
essay questions.
This would give you about 4 out of
6 marks AO1.
You COULD learn about a 3rd study.
This could make it up to 6 out of 6
marks.
1½
studies
Unit 2
Biological Psychology: Stress
Research studies
Stress as a bodily response
Not
CHD
•The body’s response to stress, including
the pituitary adrenal system and the
sympathomedullary pathway in outline.
•Stress-related illness and the immune
Stress-related illness and the immune system.
system.
Stress in everyday life
•Life changes and daily hassles as
sources of stress.
•Workplace stress including the effects
of workload and control.
•Personality factors, including Type A
and Type B behaviour, hardiness.
•Psychological and biological methods of
stress management, including stress
inoculation therapy and drug therapy.
Life changes
Daily hassles
Workplace stress – effects of workload
Workplace stress – effects of control
Personality factors, Type A and Type B
behaviour
1½
studies
Unit 2
Social Psychology: Social influence
Research studies
Social influence
•Conformity (majority influence) and
explanations of why people conform, including
informational social influence and normative
social influence.
•Types of conformity, including internalisation
and compliance.
•Obedience to authority, including Milgram’s
work and explanations of why people obey.
Conformity (majority influence)
Obedience to authority, including
Milgram’s work
1½
studies
Social influence in everyday life
•Explanations of independent behaviour,
including locus of control and how people resist
pressures to conform and resist pressures to
obey authority.
•How social influence research helps us
understand social change; the role of minority
influence in social change.
Locus of control
How people resist pressures to
conform
How people resist pressures to obey
authority
The role of minority influence in social
change
Unit 2
Individual differences: Psychopathology
(abnormality)
Research studies
Defining and explaining psychological abnormality
• Definitions of abnormality, including deviation
from social norms, failure to function adequately
and deviation from ideal mental health, and
limitations associated with these definitions of
psychological abnormality.
• The biological approach to psychopathology.
• Psychological approaches to psychopathology
including the psychodynamic, behavioural and
cognitive approaches.
Treating abnormality
• Biological therapies, including drugs and ECT.
• Psychological therapies, including psychoanalysis,
systematic de-sensitisation and Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy.
Research studies might
be used as evaluation …
but then description of
the studies is less
important.
EXAM QUESTION
Explain what psychological
research has shown about
the stressful impact of
either life changes or daily
hassles. (4 marks)
What’s the catch?
35
QT 6 Criticisms, strengths
limitations … evaluation
QT 6 Criticisms, strengths
limitations … evaluation
Evaluate the biological approach to abnormality. (6 marks)
5 a. Name one psychological method of stress
management. (1 mark)
5 b. Explain strengths of this psychological method of
stress management. (5 marks)
Identify one definition of abnormality and explain one
limitation associated with this definition. (3 marks)
The three point rule
THREE POINT RULE
Top and bottom your paragraphs.
One definition of abnormality is
deviation from social norms
Explain one limitation of this
definition. (3 marks)
 STATE your criticism (What is it?)
 EVIDENCE (‘Why is that true in this study?’)
SO WHAT? it (e.g. ‘Why is this a good or bad
thing?’)
QT 7 Extended writing questions
QT 7
Short essays
‘Abnormality can be defined as ‘the failure to function
adequately’.
Outline and evaluate this definition of abnormality. (6 marks)
Outline and evaluate one research study related to conformity
(majority influence). (6 marks)
Discuss one or more explanations of independent
behaviour, for example, how people resist pressures
to conform or obey. (8 marks)
Outline and evaluate the biological approach to
psychopathology. (8 marks)
Describe and evaluate one or more biological
methods of stress management. (10 marks)
QT 7
Long essays
Outline and evaluate research into the relationship between the
immune system and stress-related illness. (12 marks)
Discuss the cognitive approach to psychopathology. (12 marks)
‘There are several methods used to manage the negative effects of stress.
These methods can be biological or psychological.’
Discuss two or more methods of stress management. (12 marks)
“Not everyone conforms or obeys authority; some people resist these
pressures and remain independent.””
Outline and evaluate research relating to independent behaviour. (12
marks)
THE ESSAY QUESTIONS
Description (AO1)
Marks
Detail
Knowledge and Selection of
understanding appropriate
material
Presentation of
information
6
Accurate
and
reasonably
detailed
Sound
Appropriate
Clear and coherent
5-4
Generally
accurate,
less
detailed
Relevant
Some evidence
Appropriate
3-2
Basic
Some relevant
1
Very little
Very
brief/flawed
Grade A 75% = 4 ½
Little evidence
Appropriate
Largely or wholly inappropriate
Pass 45%
Evaluation (AO2)
Marks
Use of
material
Range of issues
and/or evidence
Expression of ideas ,
specialist terms, spelling
etc
6
Effective
Broad range (5) in
reasonable depth or
Clear and good range, few
errors
Narrower range (4) in
greater depth
5-4
Not always
effective
Range (4) in limited
depth or
Narrower range (3) in
greater depth
Reasonable, some errors
Grade A 75% = 4 ½
3-2
Basic
Superficial
consideration of
restricted range
Lacks clarity, some specialist
terms, errors
Pass 45%
1
Rudimentary
Just discernible
Poor, few specialist terms
Structure
12 marks = 12 points (about 300 words)
Describe and evaluate research
on obedience to authority.
Describe and evaluate the biological
approach to psychopathology
AO1 Describe a study
AO1 One key point
AO1 Details of the study
AO1 Details
AO2 Evaluate the study
AO1 One key point
AO2 Elaboration of evaluation
AO1 Details
AO1 Describe a study
AO1 One key point
AO1 Details of the study
AO1 Details
AO2 Evaluate the study
AO2 Critical point
AO2 Elaboration of evaluation
AO2 Elaboration
AO1 Describe a study
AO2 Critical point
AO1 Details of the study
AO2 Elaboration
AO2 Evaluate the study
AO2 Critical point
AO2 Elaboration of evaluation
AO2 Elaboration
Depth and
breadth
Unit 2
Biological Psychology: Stress
Essays
Stress as a bodily response
•The body’s response to stress, including
the pituitary adrenal system and the
sympathomedullary pathway in outline.
•Stress-related illness and the immune
Stress-related illness and the immune system.
system.
1½
Stress in everyday life
studies
Life changes
•Life changes and daily hassles as
Daily hassles
sources of stress.
Workplace stress
•Workplace stress including the effects
Personality factors
of workload and control.
(Type A and Type B, Hardiness)
•Personality factors, including Type A
and Type B behaviour, hardiness.
Psychological methods of stress management
•Psychological and biological methods of Biological methods of stress management
stress management, including stress
Stress inoculation therapy
1½
inoculation therapy and drug therapy.
Drug therapy
therapies
Unit 2
Social Psychology: Social influence
Social influence
•Conformity (majority influence) and
explanations of why people conform, including
informational social influence and normative
social influence.
•Types of conformity, including internalisation
and compliance.
•Obedience to authority, including Milgram’s
work and explanations of why people obey.
Essays
1½
studies
Conformity (majority influence)
Obedience to authority
Explanations of why people conform
Explanations of why people obey
3
explanations
Social influence in everyday life
•Explanations of independent behaviour,
including locus of control and how people resist
pressures to conform and resist pressures to
obey authority.
•How social influence research helps us
understand social change; the role of minority
influence in social change.
Explanations of independent
behaviour
The role of minority influence in social
change
Unit 2
Individual differences: Psychopathology
(abnormality)
Essays
Defining and explaining psychological abnormality
• Definitions of abnormality, including deviation
from social norms, failure to function adequately
and deviation from ideal mental health, and
limitations associated with these definitions of
psychological abnormality.
• The biological approach to psychopathology.
• Psychological approaches to psychopathology
including the psychodynamic, behavioural and
cognitive approaches.
Treating abnormality
• Biological therapies, including drugs and ECT.
• Psychological therapies, including psychoanalysis,
systematic de-sensitisation and Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy.
Definitions of abnormality
The biological approach to
psychopathology
The psychodynamic approach to …
The behavioural approach to …
The cognitive approach to …
Biological therapies
Drug therapy
ECT
Psychological therapies
Psychoanalysis
Systematic de-sensitisation
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Life changes
Research into
as a source of stress
Essay plan
Holmes and Rahe (1960s)
SRRS
The key feature of life
changes is the psychic cost
of change.
Individual differences
Rahe et al. (1970)
Retrospective recall may be
unreliable.
How? Used a version of
SRRS with 2600 Navy men.
Showed? A small positive
correlation between illness
and LCUs.
3rd study?
Research is correlational.
Daily hassles may be better
predictor – one reason may
be that people are more
likely to seek support for
major life events (Flett et
al., 1995).
1 research
study
QT 8
Research methods
Not the same
as research
studies!
QT 9
Applying your knowledge
TOP TIPS